A logical completion question tests whether you can finish the text's reasoning from its clues. Read the words leading into the blank to see what kind of ending you need. For a blank about a habit's purpose, connect what the person does with the problem they're trying to solve. Then predict the smallest conclusion the clues support. Watch for choices that add a new goal, because a possible purpose isn't enough without support in the passage.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look for the problem Megumi wants to avoid in the first sentence.
- Hint 2
Connect the setup to its expected effect. What does Megumi say would happen when she spots the shoes and water in the morning?
Step-by-step
Find the habit's purpose
Step 1Find the problem behind the habit
Megumi liked jogging at dawn, but she worried she might ignore her alarm and go back to sleep. What does This practice functioned as ask us to explain? It asks what her bedtime habit does, so we'll connect that habit to the risk of missing her run.
- Step 2
Connect the setup to its expected effect
Why put the shoes and water right next to her bedroom door? She expects that spotting them first thing in the morning would make it harder to skip her run. The spot matters because she wants to see the running gear as she gets up, when she might otherwise return to bed. Let's keep our prediction close to the text: the setup gives her a push to go running.
- Step 3
Name the practice's role
The visible running supplies bring Megumi's planned jog to mind, so they act as a reminder. Helping her stick to her exercise routine means helping her keep going for those dawn runs, which fits her aim to make it harder to skip her run. Choice D.